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All articles here are written by Melinda Briana Epler (that's me!) unless otherwise noted. I'm a documentary filmmaker, writer, and brand experience designer - I've dedicated my life to living a sustainable lifestyle and helping others do the same. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or thoughts for articles. Welcome!

Ten Household Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide

This is the third product in a trio of amazingly simple household cleaners. Check out all the things you can do with vinegar and baking soda, if you haven’t already!

Note that for each use below, we use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution (comes in small brown containers at the drug store, or 1 gallon drugs at the health food store – sold as “non-chlorine bleach”). Unless otherwise specified below, I use it straight. Note that if you want to keep it in a spray bottle, it must be a bottle that keeps out all light (light breaks down the hydrogen peroxide) – otherwise, put just as much as you’ll use in the spray bottle.

1. Whiten Your Whites and Brighten Your Brights. Works fabulously as a bleach alternative that you can also use on colors. Just put the hydrogen peroxide in the bleach receptacle in washer.

2. Stain Remover. Works very well on blood, if you get to it fairly quickly – I learned this from Matt’s mom who is a nurse! Just pour a bit on a cloth and dab at your clothing; if it has sat for a while, pour some on and let it sit for a couple of hours. Also, some people just have a chemical difference in their sweat that leaves yellow underarm stains on white clothing. Or wine stains on a white blouse? Again, pour some hydrogen peroxide on the stain and let it sit a couple hours. Then wash as you would normally – this works for me every time!

3. Antiseptic. Works great to help kill germs and prevent infection on cuts and scrapes. Make sure it bubbles up first before dabbing it off.

4. Mouthwash. You can use it straight or mix 1 to 1, water to hydrogen peroxide. Gargle, Swoosh, Spit, and Rinse. This works well if you have canker sores or other mouth sores.

5. Toothpaste. You can make your own toothpaste by using two tablespoons of baking soda and one tablespoon of peroxide. I don’t do this regularly, but I have done it in a pinch.

6. Cutting Board and Countertop Sanitizer. Vinegar kills most germs, and hydrogen peroxide kills most of the rest. The two kill more germs and bacteria than bleach alone, if you do this: have the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in two different spray bottles, spray on one first, then the other. Then rinse clean.

7. Watering Your Plants. If you tend to over-water your plants, this is for you. Mix 1 oz of hydrogen peroxide with 1 quart of water, and water your plants normally. This adds oxygen to your soil, helping stave off root rot and enhances root development. I do this particularly with plants whose soil is overly dense and more prone to water-logging.

8. Kill Shower Mold and Mildew. Spray on the surface and let sit, then wipe clean. Or spray after your shower to prevent mold from forming.

9. Toilet Bowl Cleaner. Pour 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide into the bowl, let stand for 20 minutes, and scrub clean.You can do the same thing with vinegar.

10. For Faster Germination When Soaking Seeds. This is a new one to me – I just read about it and haven’t tried it yet. Apparently if you soak your seeds in 1 cup of water mixed with 1.5 t hydrogen peroxide, the seeds will germinate faster. Has anyone tried this yet?

Bonus: Pretty Much Any Time You Run Out Of Vinegar While Cleaning, you can substitute hydrogen peroxide!

Alright, Y’all, What Else Have You Used It For?

Is there anything not on this list that you have tried? Or have you heard any other ideas?

80 comments to Ten Household Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide

I discovered Hydrogen Peroxide earlier this year when I got a sore throat/cold 3 days before going to a music festival. I was off work so knew I could afford to take to my bed to try and clear it quicker. I’d read about HP’s ability to kill bacteria and found it in my local chemist. I used a couple of drops in each ear and gargled with it for 3 minutes 3 times a day. My cold still ran it’s course but much quicker and the sore throat which usually gets worse day by day healed quickly which made the stuffy nose easier to bear.
I then used it to clean the bathroom to amazing effect – black mildew round the shower base, limescale on taps, no problem. And it’s a relief to find something that is so effective that is not bad for your lungs and the environment. And it’s so cheap! (80p for a cough medicine size bottle here).

I do the same as above for my ears and have saved myself lots of antibiotics for ear infections.

I also mix it as you do for watering plants, except I then put it in a spray bottle. When I start my seedlings in the winter, I spray them with this solution and it waters them and also seems to keep them from damping off. The seedlings are healthier and grow better.

I love HP, but I didn’t know that the giant bottle of 7th Gen Bleach Alternative was HP. So I am so buying that next week at the Co-op. I use HP for lots of things, and I think you got most of them here. Have always loved HP. While it still toxic to drink, its not so dangerous as Bleach (chemical fumes, and contact burns).

I always thought hydrogen peroxide is dangerous, but I guess that’s because I’m accustomed to things being called by their molecular structure is somehow dangerous to green consumers. (SLS, for example.) Like that pesky and very dangerous dihydrogen monoxide. Awful stuff. ;)

Stain remover is useful. ‘Course I hardly have been using my stain remover…

Hydrogen Pyroxide is an excellent and even old-fashioned anti-biotic and disinfectant and largely scorned by today’s medicos since the big Pharmaceautical companies cannot make any money from these cheap and easy-to-use alternative products. However, Diana you have been misled by the statement that HP slows down healing…it’s simply not true! Hp kills any infection or bacteria in or around the wound. Once cleaned, dress the wound as per usual. HP makes an excellent mouthwash, although 30% strength must be diluted as 1 part HP to 3 parts water. If using as a stain remover or bleach, wash garment thoroughly afterwards since hydrogen peroxide will damage material – especially is undiluted HP comes in contact with it.

While HP is as great cleaner and antibiotic, it is highly cytotoxic and therefore not ideal to use on wounds. I am a wound care nurse and it is rare that HP is ever used on wounds of any kind even when diluted. Best practice is to use sterile water or normal saline water to irrigate a wound. The water washes away most of the pathogens and leaves the new cells attached and alive. Then healing can proceed. Wounds are much harder to heal if the new cells are killed. Happy healing!

Awesome – I love all these great new ideas – will totally use it for seedlings (thanks The Mom). And interesting about the mushrooms, Red Icculus. Hadn’t planned on drinking it, Tree, but good to know I shouldn’t! ;) And Chile, very interesting – I hadn’t noticed that it breaks down clothes more quickly. I’ll keep an eye on it. (Yes, thank you for pointing out the typo!)

I must admit, I’ve read about putting it in your ears but it kinda scares me yet… that may take a little extra time for me to do that! So for sure it doesn’t hurt your ears, and it works??

Hi Melinda, it definitely doesn’t hurt. You lie on your side and use just a couple of drops and it starts to fizz – same sound you’ll notice when you use it as a bathroom cleaner and pour it on mildew. The bubbling sound is how you know it’s working – it’s the bacteria being suffocated by the releasing of the extra oxygen atom (HP is H202 so all you’re left with after this chemical reaction is hydrogen and oxygen – water!). The only reason it would hurt would be if you had any spots or cuts in your ear and I guess you could test this out before hand with a very dilute saline solution (although personally I’d rather be putting HP in my ears than water because of the way it evaporates). After a couple of minutes turn over, placing a towel under the ear you’ve already done to catch the drips and repeat (HP is a natural bleach though so don’t use a dark coloured towel or one you’re precious about). You can get different strengths of HP but only use 3% solutions for this. If you’re still concerned here’s a medic’s view http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/03/13/hydrogen-peroxide-part-one.aspx

another use!!
My doctor friend told me that in case u have a thorn or such thing stuck on the sole of your foot, HP can be used by making a slight incision in the spot and then dabbing the spot with HP, the piece of thorn is either fllushed away or is loosened so that you can remove the thorn more easily.

Hi, I just would like to say I don’t think its a good idea to use HP as a mouthwash. My Dentist has told me that it might be a carcinogen when used on cuts repeatedly. For this use I think alcohol is better, in the form of Listerine, or pure isopropyl alcohol for the skin. For other uses I believe it is safe, and is a much better alternative to bleach.

Wow. Your dentist is probably a quack or just brainwashed. Hydrogen Peroxide is H2O2. It is essentially water with an extra oxygen molecule. The only problem with the HP we buy from stores is that it is made through a chemical process that leaves traces. Even still if your using it as a mouth wash you will be fine. There is Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide that is %35 H2O2 and is made without chemicals. It needs to be diluted for uses.

That dentist is of the new “school” of thinking that the only effective medicines and cures are those produced by the big Pharmaceutical companies (there’s no profit in the alternative and green products…such as HP…H2O2 is and has been proven over the years for everything from a household bleach to an effective mouthwash. If more folk used it (diluted) as a mouthwash, there’d be few cases of gum diseases.An “enlightened” dental surgeon told me recently that HP was an excellent product to keep one’s mouth and gums in a healthy condition and it should be used regularly! NB:- I understand on good authority that only Food Grade HP should be taken internally – and then in only VERY small amounts as prescribed.
The comments by Nevin are precise and “right on the button.”

While H202 is not patentable, the big Pharm cant get their greasy paws on it hence the bad wrap. What did society do before Proctor and Gamble, before Johnson & Johnson? They used baking soda, peroxide and vinegar.

What did they do? They died at 40 years old. Look, I use vinegar, peroxide, baking soda, make my own toothpaste, mouthwash, laundry detergent, softener, grow vegetables on an apartment balcony, etc, etc, etc but there ARE some uses for “big pharma” (about which I email the FDA, my senator, etc. constantly). I have known people whose parents died because there was no penicillin-farmers who were sturdy, self-sufficient people-usually from something as simple as a splinter-REALLY! He died from a splinter-infected, blood poisoning, etc. or someone’s mother because her husband was burning the weeds along a fence row, there was poison ivy in there, the smoke (w/poison ivy oils) made her throat swell and she eventually died. HP and vinegar aren’t always the answer.

A friend gave me an extensive list of uses for H2O2, one of which was a Christmas tree formula. It included sugar. Her tree was up for several weeks and had several inches of new, though weak, growth. I tried the formula and had several weeks of HEALTHY growth, about 5 inches. I moved and lost the formula. I’ve since tried several combinations unsuccessfully. Sure would like the original recipe.

[...] Ten Household Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide | One Green Generation – This is the third product in a trio of amazingly simple household cleaners. Check out all the things you can do with vinegar and baking soda, if. [...]

whenever you burn a pot severly on the stove, just put some hydrogen peroxide in the pot and bring to a boil and then turnoff the burner and let it sit for a while.viola the pot will come out looking like new

wHEN MY GRANDMOTHER HAD A LARGECANCERIN HER MOUTH REMOVED,THE DOCTOR INSISTED SHE RINCE HER MOUTH 3 TIMES DAILY WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE. I CAN’T IMAGINE THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT IS BAD TO USE AS A MOUTH RINCE.

I suffered from gingivitis as a teen. As a college student at NYU, I went to their Dental University for treatment. They recommended I use H2O2 for the swelling and bleeding after brushing 3-4 times after every meal. I did that for several months and it cured my gingivitis; also my teeth were very white. Now at age 44, I noticed my teeth yellowed from drinking coffee daily and my gums are starting to shrink and sometimes swell and hurt. I started rinsing with H2O2 again last week and my teeth are whiter, cleaner feel, and my gums don’t hurt. I mixed 3% HP with water and mouthwash (1/3 part each), the HP is a bit strong you can dilute it more if you like. I have also used H2O2 to clean earwax clogs, pour a few drops in the ear with head tilted to one side. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to foam and bring up the wax, clean ear and repeat on other.

I’ve found that HP does an AMAZING job extending the life of cut flowers. (Much better than the flower food packets that go in the water.) I just fill the vase with however much water and add a couple splashes of HP (about 1/4 cup in a small to medium vase). You don’t have to change the water as often, either. This will extend the life of most flowers by a whole week! I tell you it’s amazing!

I’ve heard an old wive’s tale that wiping HP on sun/age spotshelped them disappear. Haven’t tried it yet…….has anyone else ever heard or tried this?
I gargle with it regularly and love my whiter, cleaner, less dental problems teeth. Also works great as a bathroom bleach cleaner for me.

I have also used HP to clean out my ears on the first onset of an ear infection and also gargled with it when sore throat comes on. Also wanted to share that one of my cats had a sore of the side of his face which was badly affected. His side of face had swollen badly and oozing pus badly. Being a Friday night and no vet opened, I used HP twice on the affected area and it really bubbled out the infection and by the next morning, the swelling was gone and the wound had healed. Amzing!

Of course! Those big pharmaceutical companies and their brain-washed doctors would have a fit if everyone used these effective alternative and proven treatments – such as HP! Since there’s no big profits to be made from their use! This applies to cancer – which has long been reputed to have cures found – but these big pharma’s would go broke and lose absolute billions if these cures were applied…it’s a tragic and absolute disgusting disgrace that profits come before people’s lives!
But there’s plenty of evidence “out there” if folk care to look and investigate that more and more people are “waking up” to the deceptions practised by these companies and also, unfortunately, by both the Cancer Societies and the brain-washed medicos!
So, everyone, use hydrogen pyroxide instead of the brand named mouth washes – use HP for an excellent ear-cleaning solution! It’s been used since Grandma’s day without any side effects!!

I tried many of the over the counter expensive ointments for cold sores, and they take days to heal, so I thought why not try HP, I use it for cuts, sores, to clean my mouth, and I was amazed it cleared up the cold sore in triple the amount of time it took the drug store expensive solutions to heal, just take a q-tip and dab a little HP on it and apply to your lip and it will pull the infection out to a quick healing.

[...] Use it to water your plants! If you tend to over-water plants, this is for you. Mix 1 oz. hydrogen peroxide with 1 quart water and use it to water your plants normally. This adds oxygen to the soil, helping stave off root rot, and enhances root development. Source: Ten Household Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide | One Green Generation [...]

I USE FOR MY DOG!
my dog has Bordadella. or cominly known as Kennle Cough. i dilute about two caps into his water dish. he drinks it and his coughing attacks from the bordadella stop and he can breath easyer. it also freshens his rank breath!!!!

Thank you for the eco friendly information most of which I will be following up.

I am amazed to read that you would consider using a fluoride toothpaste. Dental fluorosis is a widespread problem. Fluoride is extremely toxic. I would like to refer you to the Mercola.com website as one of the many informative sites available.

I use straight vinegar to neutralize odors and have for years. The animal won’t go near the spot because it stings their nose. I used to have four cats and two dogs inside the house and all who came over always wanted to know why they couldn’t smell them. plus, when I was in real estate, a few places used my advice and put vinegar in the rank smelling floorboards before recarpeting or refinishing and they were amazed at the results!

You were taking a bigger risk using undiluted Hydrogen Peroxide on your dog than with it eating a box of chocolates. Despite the so-called “dangers” to dogs eating chocolate these have been over-emphasised…although only a few dogs react badly to chocolate – most can eat it without any ill effects. However, I don’t suggest for a moment that folk should feed their beloved pets great amounts of this much favored candy, I have found the occasional treat doesn’t harm dogs at all. Recently a member of my own family went out and on returning home discovered to their and their children’s chagrin that their dog had consumed a very large box of Easter eggs and many other chocolate items – without a sign of any illness!
Of course the dog managed to cleverly discard the aluminum type wrappers which it left scattered all over! I have had dogs for a great number of years and all have never suffered by having a small piece or two of chocolate – despite all the “horror warnings”!

I use HP to clean the grout on my kitchen tile. I use it full strength in a spray bottle. I spray it on heavily, let it stand for 1/2 hour, then rinse off with a wet sponge. Darker stains may require a couple of treatments. I use it to clean off my counters when I do the dishes – it kills the germs and whitens the grout.

My aircon in the car was smelling pretty bad so today I bought some specialist cleaner to remove bacteria from the system, it,s an aerosol that you spray into the air lnlet with everything turned on.It cost £10! It worked but the fresh smell in the car afterward was kind of familiar so I tasted a drop of the liquid on my tongue….YES, it was Hydrogen Peroxide! I went straight over to see my brother who also has a smelly aircon and persuaded him to let me try with H2O2. 10 mins gently puffing in the fresh air inlet about 100cc of 3% H202 did the trick. I used a small 1/2 litre pump up sprayer and using a fine mist setting squirted it in with intermittant puffs.
Cost? About 20 pence!

Hi all,
May I make a suggestion, when refering to the strength of H202 in posts please use the actual percentage figure, ie,35% or 3%.
It is confusing and possibly hazardous just to say “I used it at full strength” .You can imagine what would happen if someone bought 35% food grade and read a post that said use it at full strength!!!

I like all the cleaning tips, but most of them don’t give the dilution amounts. Is it full strength for all cleaning or 50/50?
Also, I have heard it was good for cleaning pre-finished wood floors. Has anyone ever tried it for that? And what strength did you use? I need something to clean my pre-finished, light colored wood floors without leaving a film behind.

Hi Brenda,
Full strength HP is used as rocket fuel! It is DANGEROUS!
The % figures quoted are the dilution of full strength.
If you buy 35% I would think that a 5% dilution would be ok for floors ( a 1 to 7 dilution of 35%)
Remember that the cleaning effect is really bleaching.
Just mop or spray it on lightly and let it dry, if you need it a bit lighter do it again.

Best De-skunk remedy. If your dog likes to chase skunks like mine does, you know how hard it is to find a remedy to get rid of the smell. I found that this works better than any other product out there. Mix 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 2 tsp. of degreasing dish soap (I use Dawn). Work into affected area thoroughly and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse well. Repeat next day if necessary.

Our grandson had had a yeast infection (aka diaper rash) and thrush since he was a few weeks old. He had been to the doctor several times over the next few months and the doc had repeatedly put him back on Nystatin for both. By the time he was 5 months old it was only worse, not better. I finally read that rubbing the gums and mouth with non-sugared mouthwash would cure the thrush. We had some sweetened with saccarine so we started doing it 2-3 times a day. He loved the flavor and would always stop fussing after we did his gums. Meanwhile, after noticing that the mouthwash was primarily peroxide, we got out the 3% and started wiping his little butt a couple times a day. After about 10 days, his thrush and butt were cleared up totally and have not been back! I found out today that there are many kinds of yeast infections and nystatin only works on one and that using it repeatedly might even encourage the other kind one has to flourish!
We also had somewhat resistant staph infections that do well with 3% hydrogen peroxide dabbed on the sore.

I use full strength 3% in a spray bottle to clean the toilet bowl;spraying under the rim,the sides and into the water. I just let it sit for a short while(until all stains are gone),and then just flush. No need to scrub! Has anyone used it for soaking dentures,or cleaning eye glass lenses? In the case of eye glass lenses, does it matter if the lenses are glass or plastic? I like this site;thank you!

Just an interesting comment, I was in England over the summer and was astonished to learn that HP is illegal there as it can be used to make bombs. Wow! I use it all the time for household uses and would really miss it if it were banned here.

It is only illegal to sell the undiluted HP (above 35%)in the UK, though stronger stuff can be purchased for industrial use.
Do not use 35% undiluted!!! Dilute it with about 12 times water which will give just less than 3%. (Same strength as most pharmacies sell. Use “Food Grade” not “Pharmaceutical Grade”.

I recently used HP and baking soda on my tablecloth (polyester) that had a fairly large area of a tomato sauce stain. At first I used oxi push up, let it set, then I soaked it overnight with oxi-clean. The stain faded some, but was still visible. After two days of treatment and still the stain was there, I put HP and dry baking soda on the stain. I let it set a couple of hours, then I washed as usual. The stain is now gone.

I have ‘sensitive teeth’…have tried all the expensive toothpastes, recommendations from dentists, etc..and still had sensitive teeth. Approx. 6 months ago I turned off toothpaste, and turned on to brushing with straight baking soda, and rinsing with peroxide. My dentist remarked that I am obviously, flossing, brushing, etc…as my gums are healthier, tarter is reduced, etc. Told him, “Well yes, but I cut out toothpaste and use BS and peroxide instead”. He simply shook his head.

Sound as though you sure confounded him! Most newly trained dentists are simply not aware of the benefits and uses of peroxide and therefore do not understand or know of its benefits nor that of B.S.However, I have had a dentist make the same comments about my teeth and gums and told him I brushed with peroxide. He nodded and said, “Well, keep on doing it!”
I have found that the regular use of peroxide (mixed at a rate of 1part to 3 of water – as I use food grade 40%) is brilliantly effective for absolutely all mouth, gum infections – brushing with this mixture after regular brushing with toothpaste is great – also using for a sore throat is an excellent cure too. Although most younger people, ignorant of the efficacy of this treatment do not believe it – they’d prefer to rely on anti-biotics or “regular” mouthwashes!!

Karen – the answer to your question is YES! Use at same rate as for humans. You must dilute HP 35% X 3 however. It is safe for all animals as well as humans – I used to have a dog (who lived to a ripe old age of 15) and used an even weaker solution to brush his teeth regularly. It would foam up and I would rinse his teeth with fresh water…he was well used to it as I did this ever since he was a pup. But it is safer to used food grade rather than the commercial grade – which you wouldn’t want him to swallow. The food grade is quite safe used correctly. The 3% strength as John has suggested is about right for that type of use. If using on the OUTSIDE of the body, the pharmaceutical grade is fine. I hope this helps!

BE CAREFULL! A 3 x dilution of 33% will give an 11% dilution which in my opinion is far too strong for mouth and skin.
33% food grade must be diluted with 11 parts of purified water (Chemist) to give a safe 3% mix.
3% gives a great mouthwash though it does foam up a lot, taste is not great but you get used to it. Pharmaceutical grade is awaful, keep away! I got my food grade on ebay, a 1 litre of 33% gives around 2 galls of 3%.

Having used HP for many years now, with food grade being the only one used to date (the only amount of food grade HP which can be bought here in Australia is in 20 liter or approximately 5.28 US gallons!) I can afford to be a little generous with its use I guess, but providing I don’t use it stronger than 1pt:3pts water I find it OK – but then I may well be used to it!!! To begin with I suggest a weaker solution, especially in the mouth.

For safety, PLEASE edit posts (or return for correction) to show exact strength referred to. E.g., undiluted 35% food grade HP is very dangerous: could be fatal if swallowed by accident, while “burns” on skin turn white.
That said, 3% — 35% diluted 1 part to 11 (or 10½, according to Webster Kehr on his website, The Cancer Tutor) — is safe and suitable for all EXTERNAL uses. Best not to swallow, but definitely NOT carcinogenic. In fact, when HIGHLY diluted HP (3 drops 35% to 6 oz. water) is ingested, it COMBATS cancer (see http://www.foodgrade-hydrogenperoxide.com orhttp://www.cancer tutor.com)
Keep 35% in freezer (it won’t freeze) to prevent it breaking down. Keep 3% in opaque dark container — same reason.
Spraying or soaking for a few minutes, then rinsing, will keep fruits & veggies fresh much longer.